Ruler



F. FRANK,

(No Model.)

RULBR.

Patented Feb. 27, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FERDINAND FRANK, OF OALISTOGA, CALIFORNIA.

RU LER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 515,522, dated February 27', 1894.

Application filed August 3, 1893. $erial No. 432,283. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND FRANK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oalistoga, Napa county, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Rulers; and I hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improved construction for desk rulers, and it consists in certain details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my ruler showing the relative position of the two parts. Fig. 2 is an edge view.

The object of my invention is to provide a combined rigid and flexible ruler, the rigid portion of which is adapted to serve as a guide for drawing straight lines upon flat surfaces, while the flexible portion fits itself to the curved pages of a ledger or other book, so that straight lines may be drawn with its edge as a guide, the rigid portion of the ruler serving to steady the curved part.

A is the rigid portion, and B the flexible portion of the ruler. The rigid portion is made of wood, hard rubber, metal, or any other suitable or desired material. The curved, elastic portion B is made of any suitable flexible material. I have found that sheet metal or thin wood is very suitable for the purpose, and to this flexible portion, I attach a longitudinal or transverse strip 0 of rubber, felt, or other material which will raise the ruler portion above the surface upon which it rests. The strip is made enough narrower than the flexible part B so that a pen may be drawn along, with the edge of the part B as a guide, without making contact with the strip itself. If a number of transverse strips are employed instead of a single longitudinal one, they may be formed upon or with the flexible portion itself.

The edge of the rigid portion A of the ruler which is adjacent to the guiding edge of the flexible portion is cut away, preferably in convex form, as shown at A, so that when the ruler is laid upon the curved page of a book,

the flexible portion will follow the curvature of the page, so that its edge may be used asa guide for the pen in drawing lines upon the page, while the rigid portion serves to steady and retain the flexible portion in close contact with the page, the convex edge of the rigid portion standing sufliciently far back from the straight edge of the curved portion to allow the pen to be drawn along the latter without contact with the former. The opposite edge A of the rigid portion of the ruler serves as a guide for drawing lines upon any flat surface where it may be desired to use it.

It will be manifest that by pressing the flexible portion down upon any flat surface, that also may be used as well as the rigid art. p Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A desk ruler consisting of a rigid straight edged portion, a flexible elastic section having the center secured to the rigid portion, and the ends free to curve and fit themselves to a corresponding surface upon which the ruler is laid, substantially as herein described.

2. In a ruler, the rigid portion having one straightedge and the other convex or curved, a flexible portion centrally attached to one side of the rigid portion having the straight edge adjacent to and projecting beyond the curved edge of the rigid portion, substantially as herein described.

8. A ruler consisting of arigid portion having a single straight edge, a flexible elastic portion having a center secured to the rigid portion and having a straight edge projecting beyond one edge of the rigid portion, and a strip or strips of mate rial up on its lower surface by which it is raised above the surface and the latter protected from blotting, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FERDINAND FRANK. Witnesses:

N. W. COLLINS, M. FRANK. 

